Senators are racing against the clock to score additional funding for special education as West Virginia schools continue to struggle.
They’re making changes to a House of Delegates bill that makes changes to the state’s complex school funding formula, including bolstering special education funding, but not for three years.
The Senate Education Committee amended House Bill 5453 on Monday morning to move up the special education funding changes.
“That was thought to be something that would take place starting the next school year, 27-28, because we’ve already passed the budget,” said Senate Education Chairwoman Amy Grady, R-Mason.
It could cost around $8 million, Grady estimated, and the Senate Finance Committee will have to vet the bill before it goes to the full Senate. The Legislature is set to adjourn Saturday.
“What will happen between now and then the Finance Committee, I really don’t know, because it still has to go through there, but we chose special education because that’s what (school officials) said they needed help with the most,” said Grady, who is a public school teacher.
The school funding formula is a seven-step formula that determines how much state funding goes to county school systems based on factors including the number of students enrolled. It currently doesn’t account for the number of special education students, which in some counties is nearly a quarter of children enrolled in public schools.
Special education services — like one-on-one aides to help with toileting or feeding — are expensive, and multiple counties are millions of dollars in debt due to paying for the federally and state-mandated services.
Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Marion, pushed for the increased special education funding for the coming school year, but his amendment to move up the start date failed in a narrow 6-5 vote.
“As we’ve seen with the Hope Scholarship that we need more money, we give them more money every time,” Garcia said. “There are schools that are consolidating right now … I’ve got six schools in Marion County that are on the chopping block here next fall.
He added, “I think it’s important that we fund our public education system, and I’m going to look at every opportunity that I can to make sure that happens.”
The House’s school funding bill, passed by delegates last week with a vote 89-2, would be the first significant revision to West Virginia’s school funding formula in years. Bill sponsor Del. Joe Ellington, R-Mercer, said the changes are in an effort to streamline the complicated funding process and better meet students’ needs.
Beginning in the 2029-30 school year, county school boards would receive a block grant of $6,100 per student. Counties that have fewer than 1,200 enrolled pupils per county would be funded at the minimum level of 1,200 students.
The measure also establishes a tiered-system of funding for special education students, giving more state dollars to counties to use for students with higher needs.
“Addressing those needs with the students that require the most extra resources would be really helpful,” Grady said. She had introduced her own Senate measures to make changes to the funding formula in an effort to stabilize school finances, but they were sidelined in the Senate Finance Committee due to needing millions of dollars in funding.
Del. Joe Statler, R-Monongalia, in response to a question from MetroNews, said that he would like to see the extra special education funding go to counties this year rather than waiting.
“I think we’ve got to get special ed funding, and I think we have to have it next year because these counties are bleeding every day,” he said.
This article originally appeared on West Virginia Watch.
West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.
